'Huancabamba' Peruvian Torch Cactus

Trichocereus spp. Origin: Peru (via Florida) Improvement status: Landrace Seeds per packet: ~20 BOTANICAL SAMPLE - NOT GERMINATION TESTED  Life cycle: Perennial 'Huancabamba' is a tall, stately, columnar cactus from Peru, said to be a Peruvian torch cactus (Trichocereus peruvianus). Closely related to — and possibly a hybrid with — the more well-known San Pedro cactus (Trichocereus pachanoi), both species have a long history of use as medicine and in spiritual/shamanistic practices. Like San Pedro, this species contains mescaline, the hallucinogenic substance that gives peyote its potency, though torch cactus contains far less mescaline than peyote and is legal to grow and possess. Huancabamba is a town in northern Peru, in the foothills of the Andes, and is widely considered a major spiritual center thanks to the presence of lagoons above the town that are regarded as sacred as well as the large number of traditional healers (curanderas & curanderos) who practice there. Peruvian